The invention relates generally to methods and devices for evaluating a digital signal, and more particularly to such a method and device using a digital counter.
U. Tietze, Ch. Schenk, "Halbleiterschaltungstechnik" [Semiconductor Circuit Engineering], 6th edition, Springer Publishing House, Berlin, p. 247-259 discloses digital counters. Typically, these digital counters work according to a frequency-division principle, which is realized using flip-flop circuits. Each binary output of the counter is thereby in a fixed ratio to the frequency of the digital signal, which is transmitted to the counter input. The frequency of the least significant [rightmost] binary position in the known counters is half as great as the frequency of the digital input signal whose pulses are counted. To increase the counting range, one has to fall back each time on a counter with several binary positions. Increasing the number of positions of the counter increases the complexity of the counter, which is undesirable.
The present invention is directed to the problem of developing a method and a device for evaluating a digital signal using a digital counter with an increased counting range but without increased complexity.